Relationships : the building process : the architect's role in a project explored through a new facility for the Church of God, Muncie, Indiana

Abstract

My thesis deals with the process a building goes through from conception to completion. Over time, I believe that the role of the architect as building orchestrator has become a role of consultant and perhaps employee. In essence, the architect has become just a step in someone else’s process. I believe that this process is now controlled by developers, lenders, contractors, and people with little understanding of building other than the financial gains. The architect’s main objective of creating total quality buildings has been replaced by the “bottom line” financial return important to these other entities. If the architect is to achieve his/her design goals and implement ideals of social reform and betterment, an understanding of how buildings get built beyond physical construction and who controls it is needed. Beyond that, the architect must become involved in or become a part of that process.My project entails defining that process. The physical side involves a master plan and first phase of building design for a local church facility. This design phase is only a portion of the total which includes:Research; work with the local group/client to frame the project; contact developers and lending institutions to understand the criteria needed to finance and arrive at the design phase; find similar projects as precedents (case studies) for the overall process; define and explore ways to implement the architect at each phase of the total building, program the building and define what will be needed to construct it, and go through the stages of schematic design, cost estimates, and design development.My design objectives include: Set a precedent by defining ways to empower the architect to gain more control over the building process; symbolize and facilitate the beliefs of the client through the physical building, develop relationships with as many entities of the building process as possible to establish the architect as a building orchestrator; and understand the aspects involved in a building through the process being defined.“Today we find that the architect’s design decisions are secondary to financial ones, to technological ones, and even to the design decision made by others (client or community groups).” (Burgess, 11)